


If Heaven and Hell Collide

by CharlieInCharge



Category: Agron/Nasir - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-16
Updated: 2014-06-15
Packaged: 2018-01-12 15:23:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1190124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharlieInCharge/pseuds/CharlieInCharge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is my first fanfic! And I suck at summaries!<br/>Basically, It's modern-day fic and Agron and the Ludus crew are in trouble. Luckily Nasir is there to help. And of course, Agron and Nasir fall in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Captivity

AGRON'S POINT OF VIEW

I am beginning to lose track of the days. I can’t remember if we’ve been held captive for six days or a full week. I look around at the group; the nineteen of us huddled in a shipping crate clinging to each other for comfort. Few had been lucky enough to be placed next to their significant other. For the first time in awhile I am happy I’m not dating anyone. I can’t bear the thought of dragging an innocent person into this mess.

Everyone else is sleeping... except Spartacus. I swear he never sleeps. He’s always planning, looking, calculating. He is determined to find us a way out of this. I’ve been searching for a way out too but I feel the embers of hope dying. Right now I’m just praying that wherever we’re sent to I’m allowed to stay with Duro and he’s allowed to stay with Kore, his fiance. 

But I have a dreadful feeling that the women aren’t going to be with us much longer. I look sadly at Mira, Saxa, Kore, Naevia, Sura, Melitta and Sybil. I try not to think about what’s going to happen to them but if I had to guess I’d bet that they’ll be sold into prostitution while me and the other guys are sold to underground fighting arenas. The kind that have men fight each other until one beats the others brains out. 

We never should have crossed Gauis Claudius Glaber. That though continues to haunt my mind. We should have just agreed to his demands from the beginning and sold him the gym. He wanted it so that he could tear it down and build a spa or something ridiculous like that on the land. We had been naive to think that a man like Glaber would accept no for an answer. He gets what he wants or he uses any means necessary to acquire what he desires… even if it means kidnapping all of us and our loved ones it seems. I look grimly again at Sybil and Mira and wish they had been spared from this. They had nothing to do with ‘The Ludus’ other than being married to two of its owners. 

Glaber could’ve just killed us all but maybe that isn’t his style. He’s one of the richest men in the world but that doesn’t stop him from making money wherever he can squeeze out an extra dollar. Maybe that’s why he didn’t just kill us all in an explosion or something and take over 'The Ludus.’ Either he’s frugal or he wants us to suffer just so we know that he is more powerful than we ever imagined before we finally die. I’m beginning to think it’s the ladder because he seems to be the kind of man that gets off on having that kind of power over others. But of course this is all speculation. I’ve been doing nothing but speculating since we were all taken. There’s not a lot else to do when you’re chained to a wall for hours on end. 

We’ve been moved around a lot this week, going from one dark, creepy storage container to the next. Now we’re in a giant shipping crate, the kind used to transport huge cargo overseas. I have a bad feeling that this is the last leg of our journey before we are thrust into the world of modern day slavery. I hate being shipped around like luggage but I am dreading what awaits us once we reach our final destination. 

All of a sudden there is a small explosion on the top of the crate towards the front. Everyone startles awake and stares intently at the small hole now present in the roof of our temporary prison. A lithe form drops into our large space and lands lightly on his feet despite the eight foot drop he just took. 

He stands up quickly and taps his ear twice. “Alright I’m in. See I told you going in through the top and opening it from the inside would be easier.” His tone is a mix of condescending and confident- like he had to fight to be able to do this his way. Either he doesn’t realize we’re all a few feet behind him or he just doesn’t care. 

Everyone is looking at each other - is this small man our salvation or damnation? The question hangs as the air as everyone stares at our intruder. 

He pulls something out of his belt and thrusts it into the door before pushing it open. Two people, a man and a woman, on the outside help him pull the large door open as the hinges groan in protest. The second man is huge in every way and he dwarfs the small man who originally dropped into our space. The woman is tall and skinny with dark skin and what looks like an axe strapped to her thigh.

Their eyes immediately take us in and they say something quietly that makes our little intruder turn around. He pivots slowly and even in the poor lighting I can see his eyes narrowing as they take our ragged group in. I can only imagine what we all must look like. They all look at us with surprised expressions before exchanging quick and quiet words between themselves. 

The woman steps forward and begins to talk to us in a distinctly French accent ‘so we’re still in Europe,’ I think.

“Well... you're not exactly what we were expecting…” she glances back at her companions and continues, “I am Barria and this is Lance," she gestures at the large man who grunts and nods his head at us, "as of right now I believe we are on the same side.” She glances at our chained wrists and ragged clothing before gesturing to the small man who approaches us to inspect the chains that bind us to the sides of the storage container. 

“It looks like they’re chained to two lines, one on each side of the container and each row is attached to the sides in one place at the end,” the little man speaks up and inspects the large bolt embedded into my side of the container that holds half of us in place. “We should be able to free them from the wall and then once we’re outta here we can free them from their individual handcuffs.”

With him this close to I can see how truly beautiful he is. It strikes me that I probably shouldn’t be thinking about how much I want to kiss him seeing as how he could still be a serial killer for all I know and I am chained to the side of a shipping crate but I can’t help myself. My eyes rake over his dark skin, long, dark hair braided to the side, the full lips and the dark brown eyes. 

After studying the bolt for a few more seconds he pulls a few tools out of his belt and gets to work freeing us. I’m surprised at how quickly and precisely he moves, he’s able to free us in less than a minute and turns to help the other half still chained to the opposite side of the crate. The second the large chain drops from the wall we work to slip our handcuffed limbs from the chain-rope that kept us secured for so long. He frees the other side even quicker obviously having discovered how to open the identical bolt on my side and applying the knowledge to the second one. They also work to slip their handcuffs off the line.

The woman begins helping people up on my side as soon as we’re free as the large man moves to the opposite side. We’re all a bit unsteady on our feet since we haven’t really walked around for days. 

We’re free. The thought seems to hit everyone simultaneously. Despite the fact that we still have no idea where we are or who has just come to our rescue or what their plans are we are smiling and hugging one another (rather awkwardly around the handcuffs) like we haven’t seen each other in months. 

I take Duro and Kore in my arms simultaneously and I think we may just stand there for hours hugging each other and crying. Yeah, I’m crying. I don’t even try to fight tears. I’m so happy that emotion is far outweighing logic and I don’t even think about how we should probably be getting out of here as fast as we can. 

The little man has been watching us suspiciously from the side and speaks up after we’ve had only a few seconds to enjoy our newfound freedom. “As heartwarming as this is, we have a schedule to keep to so if you could get a move on I’d appreciate it,” he says in an icy voice. His face is a mask- devoid of emotion and it’s impossible to tell what he might be thinking. 

“Okay so maybe he isn’t the kindest of people’ I think to myself as everyone exchanges glances and moves to follow on his heels. The woman, Barria, and the larger man lead the way with our dark skinned intruder close behind. We walk out of the crate that has been our ‘home’ for a little over two days and look around to find ourselves in a large warehouse filled with hundreds of other crates identical to our own. A small part of me wonders if human cargo fills any of the other containers. 

The maze of shipping crates is confusing and I have no idea where it starts and stops but our three leaders seem to know exactly where to go and soon we arrive in front of a semi truck. 

Barria turns around and addresses us all again, “I’m sure you’re all tired of being treated like cargo but we’re going to have to ask that you act as such for just a little while longer. We’re going to get you into the back of this semi and drive you out of here,” she says as she pats the side of the truck almost affectionately, “The drive is going to be a little over an hour and once we’re to a safe place we’ll all sit down and figure out what’s going on and what needs to be done.” 

I almost speak up and ask what makes them so sure that they’ll be able to just drive out the front when I realize that Barria and the larger man are wearing matching shirts with a logo that is identical to the logo on our semi and also on many of the crates around us. Either they work for that company or they managed to get their hands on a couple of their uniforms… and one of the companies semi trucks. 

Getting into the semi is a bit precarious due to the fact that we are all still wearing handcuffs but we get ourselves settled in as quickly as our bindings allow. The smaller man jumps in with us and for a minute I think he’s just going to lift up the step ladder we used to get up into the back of the semi and then hop back out but he pulls on the doors as the other two push them closed. 

Barria and the other man lock us in and before long I hear the engine running. 

The back is very dimly lit with one light in the middle. The dark skinned man sits with his back against the large doors- as far away from us as possible. He looks down at his hands and wears the same blank face. 

“What is your name?” Spartacus asks after we’ve been moving for a little while. We’ve been talking quietly amongst ourselves but no one has even attempted to speak with our quiet savior. The conversations all stop and we focus our attention on him. 

He looks at Spartacus like he’s accessing him before offering up his reply, “Tiberius,” he states curtly and in a way that makes me think he doesn’t want to be talking to us.

“Well Tiberius,” it’s Crixus who speaks up this time and his tone has it’s usual feel of arrogance and superiority. It’s annoying but I’ve grown used to it. “Since you made such quick work of those bolts back in the crate maybe you can free us of our handcuffs? I’d like to have feeling in my wrists again.” His words come out sounding like a command rather than a question and I can’t help but stiffen and wonder how Tiberius will respond to the hostility in his voice.

“Enemies of Glaber range from innocent people to cold blooded killers. For all I know you’re evil members of the mafia or trained assassins who defied orders. Until we get things sorted out the chains stay. And besides, there’s nineteen of you and one of me. I’m a good fighter but I don’t like those odds. One more hour and you’ll be free. Wait. It. Out.” He says the last three words with a biting tone effectively ending the discussion. His tone is somewhat mocking like he doesn’t mean a word he’s saying but I pick up the seriousness underneath his words. He doesn’t trust us at all and I can’t blame him. 

He goes back to looking at his hands and no one tries talking with him again for the rest of the ride. I shoot him a few glances but I’m so happy to be free that I focus my attention and affection on my brother who sits next to me. We’ve always been very close Duro and I, and now I refuse to let him from my side. My arm is curled around his shoulders as his arms are curled around Kore. If nothing else we had this- this final comfort and for that I am eternally grateful. 

Eventually the semi comes to a stop and Tiberius stands up. It takes a few seconds but the doors open again and the step ladder is put down. Tiberius steps out and we all stand up wearily and walk towards the doors. I have no idea what is to come. For the first time in what feels like forever, I have hope.


	2. Freedom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nasir's POV. Basically it picks up right after the last chapter. And Agron tries to be charming.

Finally we’re out of that damn truck. I’ve never been a patient person. I don’t sit still for long. Since before I can remember I was taught to look for the pattern, figure out the next con, never stay too long in one place. Even one hour of doing nothing makes me incredibly anxious.

Things are mostly silent. They talk quietly amongst themselves and I only have to answer two questions during the ride which I count as a blessing. I don’t like talking a lot in general and I definitely don’t like talking to people I don’t know. Socializing is my nightmare.

We walk all the people though the parking garage where we’ve parked the semi (yeah the owner is gonna be pissed if he comes out here and finds that thing) and go through the back door of the building. We reach the elevators and realize that with a group this size we’re going to have to break into smaller groups. 

Barria turns around and addresses the group again, “Okay so three elevators, three groups. I’ll take one, Lance will take another and Tiberius will take one. Divide yourselves up and we’ll meet at the top.” 

I wave nonchalantly when my name is mentioned and notice immediately that the attractive, tall guy that kept shooting glances my way during the ride over is already standing near me and he moves to be in my group. He pulls along who I’m assuming is his brother and the brothers girlfriend and we wait in silence for the elevator to arrive.

I’m wary of him. I’m wary of anything that may potentially lead to me gaining something I will almost certainly lose.

When we get in I push the button to go to the top floor.

“I’m Agron,” he states with a gentle smile when I step back from the doors as we make our ascent. 

I glance at him out of the corner of my eye but otherwise ignore him. I don’t understand the point of small talk and I such at it anyway so I keep my mouth firmly shut.

But I have to admit he’s good looking. Very good looking. And it can’t hurt too much to just look. ‘Pull it together,’ I think to myself. I catch my head swiveling to the left to look at him and I immediately straighten my neck and take a keen interest in my shoes. 

Being an international thief and being in a relationship are two things that do not coexist. 

My mind shifts between thoughts of this guy and the fact that we’re looking after a ton of people… What the hell are we going to do with them all?

The plan was to break into the crate and steal Claudius Glaber’s stuff. It’s well known that most of his fortune is portable and he moves it around every so often. We’d hoped that we’d be stealing gold or valuable paintings or something. It’d taken a lot of work to track which containers were his and narrow it down to a container that would be moving valuable things. We’d literally planned for the possibility of moving anything… Anything but people. 

We get to the top floor of the fifty story building and go inside the penthouse that had been my temporary home for the past few months. Chadara and Axel along with everyone else are inside and my group is the last to arrive. The penthouse is huge but it looks a lot smaller now that we have over twenty people inside. 

“Alright, that must be everyone,” Chadara says and steps forward. “I’m guessing that you’ve all figured out not who we are really but what we do.” She gestures at me and the other three that make up our team. “I’m Chadara and this is Axel next to me. We’re all thieves for the most part. Normally we prefer to work alone but Glaber has screwed us all over in one way or another so we came together to bring him down. I don’t know how and I don’t know why but you’re all a part of this. We’d take you to the police but we’ve put enemies of Glaber in police custody before and… well it didn’t end well for them…”

I glance up at Axel and see his face lose its composure for a split second. We thought his sister would be safe if we gave her to the police. We thought she’d be better off with them. We were very wrong. 

Chadara charges on although she throws an apologetic glance Axel’s way. “Authorities can’t be trusted for now. We’re going to destroy Glaber our way. You’re more than welcome to help or you can just hang around here until the dust settles. Glaber will be looking for you. You’re not being held prisoner but you’re much safer with us.”

The man who has a certain air about him, the one who asked my name on the ride over steps forward and speaks up, “We all need to talk about a lot of things before we agree to anything.”

It’s Lance who steps forward replies this time, “Of course, our apologies. I think we can remove the handcuffs,” He directs his gaze my way and gives me glare that lets me know he’s annoyed that I haven’t removed them already. I shrug and turn to the person closest to me and get to work on their cuffs. “and you’re more than welcome to use the showers and get some sleep. There’s eight bedrooms in this place with fourteen beds. We’ll all pull out new clothes for you all so you can change. Us five,” He motions at the team, “can sleep out in the main lobby for now on the couches.” 

I’ve removed a few cuffs from some people when He steps forward and offers me his hands. He flashes this big, toothy grin despite the seriousness of the situation and I’m completely thrown off guard. Who is this guy? 

He watches me while I work on his cuffs and I can just feel that he’s still smiling at me. Okay seriously, focus. 

And his fingers keep brushing mine… SERIOUSLY. FOCUS. 

I finally see up close how red his wrists are, even more so than almost everyone else and I realize that he tried to fight his way out of them. I feel a pang of guilt for not getting these off of him and the rest of them earlier but I don’t let it show.

I’m so off after he smiles that it takes me nearly twice as long to get the cuffs off. I (finally) get his off and offer him a small, half smile before moving on to the next person. I make quick work of the rest and the people all move off towards the bedrooms to shower and sleep. 

Lance goes to get more beds from somewhere. Axel and Chadara start making food for everyone and Barria goes to get clothes and towels for our new house guests. 

Chadara makes a list and asks me if I can run to the store and buy food and other necessities.

Honestly, I’m glad for the chance to step out and get some air. I need to clear my head. I keep thinking about the guy and I need some time to pull myself together. The name Agron keeps bouncing around in my skull. 

In my head I keep repeating to myself that relationships never work. I avoid relationships at all costs and I’m ardently remind myself why as I step outside.

The mask I normally wear on the outside is a reflection of the defenses I have internally. I protect myself from everything and by the time I get back to the hotel sometime later the same coldness that I normally feel in my chest has settled back into place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I swear the next chapter will have more Agron and Nasir... There's just a lot of things I feel like I have to cover before I get into their relationship.


	3. Worth Wait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally a little Agron and Nasir alone time. Yay!

AGRON'S POV

It’s amazing how quickly you can fall into a pattern. We’ve been at the penthouse for four days and already I’m starting to get a feel for things. People are settling in and getting used to a life of being in hiding.

We agreed to help Tiberius, Chadara, Axel, Barria and Lance destroy Glaber but so far we’ve just been lounging around the hotel and relaxing.

Spartacus says we need some time to heal and come to terms before we face reality again.

I’ve barely had any opportunity to talk to Tiberius. I mean really talk with him without twenty other people around and him offering up as little as possible to my questions. He’s never intentionally unfriendly, he just has a wall built up that could rival the Great Wall of China in size and strength. 

Duro mocks me endlessly. He says I’m acting like a teenager in love. Last night he asked me point blank why I’m so interested in Tiberius and I couldn’t think of anything to say. 

I don’t know why it is that I feel this pull towards him. I can’t explain why but he’s a question I desperately want to know the answer to. 

I sit down to watch a movie with Duro and Kore to kill a few hours in the middle of the day and my thoughts drift to long, dark hair and full lips. I’m daydreaming but I snap out of it the second he walks through the door. I know instantly that it’s Tiberius walking in even with my back turned to the door. There’s an air about him that’s impossible to miss. I turn around and for the first time since I’ve met him he has an actual emotion on his face. It makes my heart pound in my chest. 

He looks distressed and Chadara and Barria take him by the arms and pull him into bathroom right off of the main foyer. Everyone milling around in the main room takes notice but it’s obvious no one had any idea what they should be doing in this situation… Whatever this situation is.

Axel barges through the front door a few seconds later and catches my eye, “Where is he?” He demands. He looks almost as distressed as Tiberius did a few moments ago and I have a bad feeling settling in the pit of my stomach. 

“Bathroom,” I answer immediately, “Axel what’s-”

He doesn’t give me a second glance he just slips in the bathroom. 

“It must be a party in there!” Rhaskos shouts and laughs. I hate him for it. I wonder what they’ll think if they hear us laughing at them.

No one else laughs though. We’ve all come to like our ‘saviors.’ They’re friendly (well not Tiberius particularly but he’s helped out a few people and made us feel welcome in his own detached way and for that I know we’re all grateful) and they’ve given us a purpose- bring down Glaber and make him pay for what he’s done to us and so many others. 

“Rhaskos. Not the time.” Spartacus gives him a glare that I hope to never be on the receiving end of. We all settle into an uncomfortable silence. Everyone goes back to what they were doing before but I catch more than one person shooting glances at the bathroom door.

“Should we bring them something?” Kore asks after awhile and looks at the door sympathetically even though she has no idea what’s happening in there.

I shake my head even though I have been wondering the same thing, “They’ll come out… Eventually.”

They’re in there for a full hour when Lance quietly walks in through the front door. He doesn't say a word to us he just goes to the bathroom and joins the rest of them. And then it’s quiet for another hour. And another.

I haven’t moved from my spot on the couch but I’m getting so antsy that I think I might crawl out of my skin if I don’t hear anything from someone soon.

Finally they all file out. Chadara looks like she’s been crying and Axel looks physically defeated. Barria looks angry and Lance looks pissed. But when Tiberius come out I feel my heart sink. His mask is back on and I can’t read what he’s thinking. The flicker of emotion I saw a few hours ago is gone again.

Chadara follows Barria and Axel into one of the bedrooms and closes the door behind them. Tiberius slips out onto the terrace and my eyes watch his every movement until he disappears behind doors and thick drapes that separate the main room from the balcony. 

Lance starts talking to us about how we’ll have to make our own dinners tonight or something but I can’t focus on his words. I’m not even subtle as I pick myself up and follow Tiberius outside.

His back is to me and his hands are on the railing. He’s gripping it hard and it looks like he’s trying to steady himself.

“What is it Agron?” He barely turns his head in my direction and the words are so quiet that I almost don’t catch them. He mumbles something that I think is meant for me and I catch the word “alone” but nothing else.

“Just needed a little fresh air,” I lie as I walk towards him. “And… I’ll admit I wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help.” I’m standing beside him now and I move to place my hands on the railing. I fight the urge to place my hand on top of his but I settle with just putting it down so our hands are barely touching. 

“Who says I need help?” His words are biting and I know that he’s trying to push me away. His wall has crumbled just a little bit with whatever has happened today and he’s desperately trying to repair it. “I’ve been on my own since before I can remember. I’ll figure it out.” He leans back and looks towards the sky. His stony expression falls away for just a flicker of a second and I think that I may actually prefer the mask to the face he reveals for just this small window of time. There’s so much pain and hurt showing through his features that I almost can’t bear to look.

But the emotions are gone again so quickly that I almost believe that they were never there. 

“I don’t doubt that you can figure things out on your own. But always being by yourself is lonely. You can’t shut yourself off from everyone. Having friends for even a little while is better than not having friends at all,” I say gently. I don’t want to preach at him when he’s upset but I also want him to just let me be there for him.

“Is that what you want? My friendship?” He finally looks at me and there’s such coldness in his eyes that I believe that I can physically feel the chill. “Chadara says she sees the way you look at me. I heard your brother tease you once. Is my friendship what you’re after or do you want something more? Has it occured to you that maybe there is nothing more? That this is it and I have nothing left? Or is it just sex you’re after?” He cocks his head to the side and assess me with cold eyes in a way that makes me feel very uncomfortable. “If it’s sex then I suggest trying to seduce Axel. He’d probably sleep with you. You’re attractive and Axel likes to have fun. Either way, I suggest you move on. I’m really not worth the trouble.”

“You think I’m attractive?” I can’t help but smile despite all the things he just threw at me. 

“Really?!? That’s what you took out of all of that?” He waves his arms above his head in a desperate gesture and looks at me like I’m either crazy or stupid. Or both.

I don’t remember making the decision to hug him but all of a sudden my legs move forward of their own free will and my arms wrap around his lithe body. 

“I heard everything you said,” I say into his hair. Damn it smells good. “And I understand you’re afraid of getting hurt. But you have to let someone in eventually and I’m willing to wait. You do have a lot to give you just have to be willing to give it. I understand that it will take time for you to really trust someone.”

I’m worried that I’ve said the wrong thing or that he’ll push me away but he doesn’t say anything. He winds his arms around my back and hugs me as tightly as I’m hugging him. 

We stay like that for quite some time. I don’t remember ever having felt so content. 

I’m the first to break the silence, “And Tiberius?”

“Hmm?”

“You’re definitely worth the trouble.”


	4. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this chapter should have been from Nasir's POV but I started writing it from his perspective and didn't like how it was coming along... I see things through Agron's eyes a lot clearer so it may be mostly Agron's POV with a little Nasir here and there...
> 
> Also, if any of you watch the show "Leverage" then you'll kind of see where I got the structure for Nasirs team.

AGRON'S POV

I’ve learned a bit more about the group dynamic. Every one of our ‘heros/saviors’ has a specialty. Lance deals mostly with the explosives. Barria is combat and weapons. Axel is the the tech guy. Chadara is the swindler and Tiberius is the thief- he’s the one who actually goes in and steals whatever it is they’re trying to take.

Another pattern was established after the first night on the terrace. 

Things picked up rapidly after that night. Lance, Axel, Barria and Tiberius are always running around during the day doing what I imagine to be very important things. Chadara has only started to emerge again since Tiberius and I first talked outside. She’s quieter now though and sometimes Barria will walk over and give her a hug or Tiberius will squeeze her shoulders gently.

Rhaskos has started to offer her comfort and more than once I have seen them sneak off to a quiet corner to talk apart from everyone else. She’s brought forth a gentler nature from him that I never thought existed.

Lance and Barria agreed when we proposed that we should be allowed to go outside more... I mean we were never prisoners but it always felt as though we were meant to stay cooped up away from the big, bad world. Now they actually encourage us to run errands and come and go as if the penthouse is our home. 

They’ve let Spartacus, Crixus and I help with planning and I’m grateful for something to do during the day. I know we’re still only being shown half the picture of their entire plan but I know they trust us more everyday that passes. 

Kore, Sybil, Mira and Naevia have taken up caring for everyone, cooking and keeping things clean which is a Godsent due to the fact that with this many people living in this close of quarters things tend to get dirty fast. 

They offered to us to rent out more apartment rooms so some could have privacy but we all agreed that despite the tight quarters we prefer to stay together for now. 

Duro has been working with Axel (who is “a computer wizard”-his words not mine) to learn how to hack into things and… honestly I don’t really know. Whenever they talk the stuff they say goes right over my head. I wouldn’t have pegged Duro for a computer guy but from what Axel says he learns fast and is apparently “a natural.” I don’t know if I’m more proud or nervous since I’m pretty sure what they’re doing is far from legal. 

A few talked about getting part time jobs at a local cafe to use up some of our seemingly unending free time and Axel said it was possible because he can (and already has) made us all fake identities. The name on the drivers license he handed me was ‘Burt Smith’ and apparently ‘Burt Smith’ is from Hawaii. I haven't broken out the fake ID yet because I’m convinced anyone who saw the name ‘Burt Smith’ would know immediately that that’s me. 

Nights have become my new favorite time. They are what I always look forward to. 

After the first night on the terrace, Tiberius always slips outside when he gets back from whatever it is he’s done that day and I follow close behind. It’s become our ritual. Sometimes we talk (and when I say “we” I mean mostly it’s me talking and him listening) and sometimes we just stare at the stars and enjoy each others company. 

He let me hold his hand after the first night but nothing has gone beyond that though I’m desperate for contact. My arms twitch with the thought of holding him within them again. 

He told me that on the first night we spoke on the terrace an acquaintance of the team had been found dead. Glaber played a part on their death though he wouldn’t elaborate when I asked for more. He said that he and Chadara had known this person for most of their life. He’ll talk about how Chadara is not doing well with the loss of their friend but no matter how much I ask he never talks about what he’s feeling. He just shrugs it off and says that he’s dealt with losses before. It pains me that he treats someone dying like a common, everyday occurrence. 

I constantly fight against the voice in my head that wants to scream at him and tell him I’m here for him. I fight against the instinct to tell him to just open up and let me in. Our relationship is still a mystery to me sometimes. We have such a strong connection that I feel like I’ve known him forever and yet I know almost nothing about him.

It’s frustrating and wonderful and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. 

Most of our time on the terrace is spent with me talking about my family and my life. I talk about Duro and the death of my parents. I talk about starting up “The Ludus” with Spartacus and the gang after college. 

Tiberius will listen so intently sometimes to what I’m saying that it makes me nervous. I asked Chadara once why Tiberius refuses to talk about his own past and all she said to me was, “He’s had a tough life.” I can’t help but think that he’s learning about a normal life through my experiences and stories. 

That night, I’m watching TV and mocking Duro for some dumbass mistake when he comes in the door. I always know it’s him like he has a beacon attached to him that I cannot possibly miss. He’s later than usual which has had me on edge all night. I hate that I don’t get to know where he is or what he’s doing. 

Normally he goes and changes, talks to Chadara or whoever is around before going out onto our balcony. Tonight, he makes eye contact with me the second he’s through the door and then walks outside.

I have no idea what Duro and I were just talking about. I shoot him an apologetic glance and pick myself up to go out into the night. 

He’s standing there, facing me with his head down looking at his feet and his hands behind him resting on the railing. 

He’s breathtaking as always. But I notice the stiff set of his shoulders and even though his expression is hidden from me I know something is off. 

“How was your day?” I try to make my voice light because I have a bad feeling settling in my stomach. Something is wrong and a part of me does not want to find out what it is. 

He looks up at me and there’s an exhaustion and defeated look in his eyes that I’ve never seen before. Even after his friend died that first night I didn’t see this much conflict in his eyes. 

“We can’t keep going on like this.” There’s such a finality in his voice that it makes me heart stop for a second. He shakes his head slightly and continues to look at his feet like they’re an interesting thing he’s never noticed before. 

“And what is ‘this’ exactly?” I have a pretty good idea what he means but I refuse to let him get away without actually saying the words and I need time to form an argument as to why ‘this’ cannot end.

“Agron, we’re going to make a move soon. We’re going to finish things with Glaber or go down trying. If we fail I think Axel has a plan to get you all somewhere safe so you don’t need to worry about yourself or your brother or the rest of them.” He gestures at the people inside and charges on, “You’ll be fine I promise. As for me, for us, this has to stop. These meetings, our talks away from everyone else, I initiated them and for that I’m sorry but now I’m stopping them. Even if we succeed we can’t be together Agron.” He starts pacing in front of me and it seems like he’s thought a lot about this he just doesn’t like having to say the actual words. 

“I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of and had a lot done to me. But this is the life I know. The more I hear about you and your brother and the people you work with who basically seem like your extended family I realize how unalike we are and will always be. I’m sorry but for both our sakes we need to stay away from each other and stop this thing, whatever it is, between us before it goes any further. This will be over soon enough and, hopefully, we’ll all go back to the lives we had before. I’ve been hurt enough and I won’t be able to take it when you go home. I can’t. I’m sorry.”

He stops pacing in front of me and stands there with his hands on his hips and looks at me like he wants me to just agree or turn around and go back inside.

I can’t help but think back to his last rant; the one where he called me attractive and I hugged him. The first terrace talk. There hasn’t been that many since the first but I’ve come to rely on them. I need them. I need him and I know he needs me too. 

“I understand you’ve been hurt and I’m sorry, if I could go back and change your past I would. I’d give you a good life away from Glaber and every other bad thing. But I can’t do that. I can’t change what you’ve been though but I can help you now. We’re here for each other and I think you need me as much as I need you.” I look at him to see if he’ll confirm what I’ve just said but he looks down again and I’m afraid I’ve missed my chance. I’m afraid my words won’t be enough to get through to him. 

I want him to realize how rare and precious this thing is between us. Even under different circumstances I would want this. I have never felt this strong a connection to another person and I refuse to let it be severed without putting up a good fight. 

“I want to stay here in the penthouse forever if it means I can continue to talk with you and be with you. And if it all ends it does not mean we do. I’ll follow you around the world if I have to. Tiberius, I love you.”

His head finally snaps up and he looks at me with an expression that is completely and totally unfathomable. What I’ve said is true although I didn’t even realize it until the words were coming out of my mouth. I am in love.

Whenever we talk and he offers up little things about himself it drives me crazy with want to know more. Whenever I say something about the people in the penthouse that I know and have loved since before I can remember and he looks at me with such longing I want to wrap him in my arms and never let go. I protect him and stand by him for the rest of my life.

Isn’t that what love is? It’s confusing and agonizing and a constant struggle but that makes it all so much more precious. At the end of the day you know you fought for something and it was worth all the pain.  
He continues to look at me for awhile and I can’t decide if I should talk some more or let what I’ve said sink in. 

When he finally talks I can feel myself letting out a breath I didn’t know I was holding in. 

“Nasir.”

I look at him and I know there’s a dumbfounded expression on my face because I don’t understand what he’s saying to me right now. Is this a rejection? 

He smiles at me gently and repeats what he said before, “Nasir. My name is Nasir.”

I knew his name wasn’t Tiberius. I’m pretty sure the names of the other four aren’t their real names either. Hearing his name, knowing he trusts me with this piece of himself fills me with something I can only describe as joy.

I don’t know if he meant for me to kiss him but I figure this is his response to me saying “I love you.” He’s not pushing me away. And I can’t fight against myself anymore.

So I grab him and pull his mouth to mine. 

He is surprised at first and I’m worried he’s going to push me away. But he quickly gets into it and matches my enthusiasm. Somewhere in the back of my mind I think about how I should take it slow with him but I’m pushing the thought aside before it can even fully form. Everything about being with him just feels so right. 

So I lick into his mouth and groan when our tongues wrestle. I push him back into the railing grab his hips, grinding them into mine. His hands wind up my sides and slip behind my back. One goes to grab my neck and pull me even closer and the other weaves through my hair. 

Okay, if making out with him like this is going a bit too fast then sex is definitely going too fast. At least that’s what I’m trying to tell myself but it’s so difficult to think rational thoughts with his lips on mine. Lips I’ve had more fantasies about than I care to mention. These are lips I thought I may never get to feel against my own. I was never sure he’d let me in and even without the contact being with him was worth it. I could’ve lived without being allowed to touch him and hold him close to me. 

But with the contact it’s so much better. If I didn’t need oxygen there’s a possibility I would never let his lips slide off mine with a soft ‘smack.’ I smile at him (and try to calm myself back down) and he gives me a look that says more than words ever could. We have a lot of hurdles still ahead but for now I’m happy to just stand here with him in my arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Obviously he and Agron are going to be together so I don't see the point of dragging it out but I also hope this doesn't make them seem to... I don't know, needy? What is the word I'm looking for? Basically, 'they are both strong and independent except when they are around each other' is what I was going for.


	5. Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay this starts off with Nasir's Point of View and switches to Agron.

NASIR'S POV

I land on the floor in a crouch with a barely a sound. I look over my shoulder to make sure that I no one else is here but I see no one else in the hallway. I have ten minutes before the guards return to do another sweep of this floor. I plan to be out of here in seven. 

I know that Axel has put the cameras on a loop so the guards in the guard room can’t see me but I stay low and as close to the wall as possible while I advance down the hall. To stay quiet and compact as possible is second nature.

At the end of the hall is my target- room 4570. I’ve been in there before three nights ago taking pictures of all of the files. It took all night because there’s row upon row of filing cabinets in there. Glaber doesn’t keep anything important on a computer because he knows people like Axel will try (and most likely succeed in Axel’s case) to access it. 

I pull out my lock-picking set and, even though Glaber's invested in the best security systems, I’m in in under two minutes. Thirty seconds to get down the hall. Two to pick the lock. I have five and a half minutes until my deadline.

I have to sort through hundreds of thousands of files. I begin with the file cabinet in the far corner and work my way forward. I’m replacing a select few of their documents with new ones that Axel typed up. We made minor changes to their papers, small enough to hopefully not be noticed. 

I’m finished with a minute to spare; plenty of time to get back down the hall and get out without anyone even knowing I was here. 

I’m just about to leave the file room when Axel’s worried voice bursts through my earpiece that allows me to connect with my team.

“Wait! Do NOT go into the hall!”

My hand hovers over the doorknob and every inch of me tenses. 

“Axel, why? I need to get out of here!”

“Axel what the hell is happening?” I hear Lance’s voice though the coms and he sounds as confused as I’m currently feeling. 

“I… I don’t know. I just saw a shadow of Nasir moving in the file room from the hallway cameras which I shouldn’t be seeing since these videos are supposed to be on a loop… Either they figured out that the cams are being put on a loop and rebooted the systems without me realizing it or..” 

Axel sounds completely lost and I’d almost feel bad for if it wasn’t for the fact that the guards will be coming back on their round soon and I’m in a room with a glass door... And nothing but cabinets so there’s absolutely no place for me to hide. I'm a sitting duck in a cage and I don't like it one bit.

“OR WHAT? Spit it out Axel, I don’t have time for this,” I say trying to sound as calm as possible. I work well under stress but I need to know what I’m working with and Axel isn’t exactly helping. He’s a great hacker but I wouldn’t list ‘gracious under fire’ as one of his strong suits.

I can hear Chadara talking quietly to him and I can only imagine that she’s trying to calm him down and get him to focus. 

I have a narrow window and I’m watching it close before my eyes. Every instinct is telling me to run. I’d rather have my form caught on camera (I’m wearing a mask so that’s not a concern) and let them know I’ve been here than wait and be faced with two guards. I am a good fighter but they have guns so I think they’d win that duel.

My minute has passed. My deadline has come and gone. I like to be in and out with tons of time to spare but now I know that the guards are coming down that hall in less than three minutes. If they round that corner and see me in here it’s all over. 

“Nasir,” I hear Axel’s voice, sounding more focused, come back over the line, “I’m not sure what went wrong and I know you want to run but you need to give me a little time to figure something out and most importantly, I need you to not move. The guards didn’t notice your shadow moving the first time but they may see it if you move again so just sit tight.”

I want to say some very nasty words to Axel right now but I fight them back down my throat and let him do his work.

Two and a half minutes more minutes tick by before I hear his voice again and by this point I’m barely maintaining myself. I do not like being trapped in a situation out of my control. And I like knowing what's going on so these last two and a half minutes have been pure Hell.

“Okay you can leave but, Nasir, the guards are coming. You don’t have enough time to get back to where you got in.”

I slip out the door and risk a glance at the vent in which I crawled through and dropped into the hallway from. I was able to get out of it at the end of the hall and I can already hear guard steps echoing so I know that I won’t be able to get back to the vent in time. 

The hallway goes branches off at the end where I am and I immediately turn left. Time for Plan B. 

The team was so sure that our original plan would work that they didn’t even consider its failure, but I always come prepared with a backup. It’s served me well before and it’s doing it again. 

The only problem with Plan B is that it’s a lot less likely to succeed than Plan A and there’s a much greater chance I’m gonna get shot.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AGRON’S POV

Things with Nasir have been going very well ever since I kissed him. I still have to push but he offers up just a little bit more of himself with every passing day and each piece of information I get from him is no small battle- hard fought for and very worth the struggle. 

I also get more insight into the team's plans. They even let Spartacus, Donar, Crixus and I go on ‘a run’ for them two nights ago and though I’m still not 100% sure what we did, I know it was something that will help take Glaber down and get us back to our lives. 

I have a feeling that something big is going to happen soon. Nasir and the others leave at midnight almost every night and we don’t see them back until early in the afternoon. I’m nervous every time that Nasir is out of my sight but I remind myself that he’s fighting to get Glaber to pay for what he’s done to us and countless others.

I’m happy for everyone that this could be over soon but I’ve found myself worrying about my future more and more. I have no idea what I’ll do when this is over. I want to go back to my life before but I can’t return to it without him. I can’t forget our time together and move on from who I’m certain I’m meant to be with. I become more and more sure that he’s the only one I can ever love so completely with every day that passes. 

Every time I kiss him and he kisses back I feel a sense of… peace? I can’t exactly describe it. While at the same time I feel such a strong desire for him that I’m constantly telling myself that I can’t just take him to a room and rip his clothes off (God, I want to though). I have to take it slow. I have to make sure that he wants me and trusts me as much as I want and trust him.

I’m thinking about Nasir and fretting about how our future could play out for the hundredth time when they all burst through the door. 

Everyone stops and watches as Chadara and Barria run to the bathroom and Axel sweeps everything off the table in one, very dramatic motion. Lance has his arm around Nasir’s waist and you’d almost think they were just strolling in in a casual embrace if you didn’t see Lance’s face. He looks flustered. 

For a minute I think he’s the one they’re all running around for but then he moves to the table that Axel just cleared and sets Nasir lightly down on it. Nasir sits gently on the edge and although his face betrays no emotion I can see the pain behind his eyes from where I’m standing. 

I get to his side before I even realize I’ve moved forward and cup his beautiful face in my hands. 

He smiles a gentle smile at me and I return it before Chadara is shoving me, rather forcefully, aside. 

I stand back as they take his jacket off slowly and reveal the cause of their panic; there’s a hole in his left shoulder that’s steadily leaking blood. A lot of blood. Even though he’s wearing a black shirt underneath the jacket it’s apparent how much blood he’s already lost. 

Chadara is assessing it rather nervously and I can tell from her posture and the way she's biting her lip that she hasn’t had a lot of experience dealing with injuries. Others must notice her hesitance too because Naevia and Mira step forward and push Chadara aside like she did to me, only with a little less force. 

“Let us help,” Mira says kindly, directing her words to Chadara and the rest of the group. “We’ve had to stitch these idiots up,” she gestures at all of us standing around, “more times than we can count. I may not be a nurse but I know a thing or two about first aid.” From my angle I can see her wink and smile at Nasir and he gives her an appreciatory nod. I can't be sure but I think he's relieved that Chadara isn't going to be the one operating on him.

Naevia steps around the table and looks at his back. “There’s no exit wound so the bullet is still in there. We’ll have to get it back out.” Naevia and Mira exchange glances and I can tell they’re trying to decide who will be the one to actually pull the bullet back out of Nasir’s shoulder.

It’s silent for a split second and Naevia is the one to break the quiet. “Everyone who doesn’t need to be here should go into a room and stay there for a bit. Let’s give Tiberius here a little privacy.” I almost correct her and tell her his name is Nasir but I catch myself. It took him awhile to tell me his true name. He doesn't trust easily and I won't betray his trust by giving up things he told me in confidence. 

Chadara gives Nasir’s hand a small squeeze and follows as everyone shuffles into a room. The doors close and now there’s only the four of us; me, Nasir, Mira and Naevia. 

I walk forward and take his right hand in mine and look into his eyes. Neither Mira or Naevia question my presence or ask me to leave although I do catch a few glances thrown my way.

Mira starts setting aside the supplies she needs from the first aid kit and other stuff that Chadara and Barria grabbed from the bathroom. “Do you guys have any pain killers?”

Nasir looks away from my eyes and directs his attention to her. “We do but I don’t need it.” He sounds so sure. I'm constantly in awe of his confidence. He doesn't talk a lot but when he does speak up he's sure of his words. 

Naevia opens her mouth to protest but Nasir stops her before she can say anything. “I appreciate the concern but I’ve been through worse. I can take the pain. I don’t need medication.”

Naevia and Mira still look like they want to argue but they get back to work disinfecting the equipment and Nasir’s wound.

Naevia goes back around the table and places her hands firmly on Nasir’s back. He looks back into my eyes and I don’t even realize when Mira reaches the tweezers into his shoulder and pulls the bullet out until I hear a soft ‘clack’ as she places the bullet in a dish on the table. His eyes betrayed nothing and I’m pretty sure that he kept his pain under wraps for my benefit. He did a better job of keeping me calm than I was doing for him even though he was the one who got shot. 

Mira stitches up the wound and places bandages over it. It’s over quickly but it feels like it’s been hours since he walked through the door with a hole in his shoulder. I know he’s in pain even if he’s hiding it well and I hate it. I would take the pain from him and make it my own if I could. 

Naevia yells that everyone can come back out after they’ve cleaned up and Lance is the first one out of the rooms. 

“We have a room booked on the floor just below us as a ‘just in case.’ I think we should take Tiberius there and let him get a good nights sleep away from everyone.” Lance looks at me as he talks and I put my arm under Nasir’s good right arm and help him stand up.

I follow Lance to the elevators and into the room on the floor below. Lance pulls out the key, unlocks the door and holds it open for us. 

I walk through the doorway and as I pass by him his voice drops low and he touches my shoulder lightly to get my attention, “Do you mind looking after him?” From his tone I think he knows that I want to be the one looking out for Nasir but still doesn’t want to just assume it.

“I want to be with him,” I say firmly. “I’ll take good care of him.”

Lance smiles at me and says, “We’ll be right upstairs and we’ll check on you throughout the night to make sure you’re both doing okay.”

He closes the door behind him and I take Nasir over to the bed and place him down as softly as I can. His face loses its composure for a split second as he lays back but it’s returned in a blink of an eye.

“What can I do for you little man? Do you want some water?” I lean over him and I stroke his sweaty hair back from his face. 

He has me grab him a towel and a glass of water from the bathroom. I help him drink the water and put the towel under his back so he doesn’t bleed on the sheet if his stitches tear. He sits up again and I help him remove his tattered shirt as well as his shoes. It's a slow process because I'm trying my hardest to hurt him as little as possible. I hold him gently and settle him back down onto the bed and pull the covers up around his small form. I’m trying very hard not to look at his naked chest. The last thing I want to do is make him feel embarrassed while he’s already in a lot of pain.

“Agron?” He speaks my name like it’s a question and when I meet his eyes he looks vulnerable in a way I’ve never seen from him before. 

“What is it Nasir?” My hand goes back to lightly stroking his hair while the other one cups his jaw. My thumb skims his jaw slowly in what I’m hoping is a comforting gesture.

“Will you lay down with me?”

I give him my biggest smile before moving around the bed and crawling as smoothly as possible into it. I move to be beside him and he lifts his head up and I throw the pillows to the ground and replace them with my arm. He snuggles closer to me even though I know it hurts him to move. I can feel the line of his body next to mine and for a minute I can’t help but think about sleeping with his head pillowed on my arm every night and waking up like this with him every day. 

He tilts his head up to mine and I kiss him a little more forcefully than I probably should given the circumstances. The kiss is short and when I pull away gently he tucks his head into my side. 

“Tell me more about yourself.” The request is so quiet and barely-there that for a minute I question if he asked it or if I imagined it. 

“Nasir you’re exhausted. We’ll have plenty of time to talk when you’re feeling better.” I would love to have a long conversation with him like we do every night on our balcony but I can’t justify keeping him up when he’s wounded and lost a lot of blood. 

“Just tell me about yourself please,” he sighs/yawns into my side.

I whisper to him a story about when Duro and I were younger and in no time I feel his breathing slow. I keep talking for awhile even after I know he's fallen asleep.

I don’t sleep much that night. Part of me is nervous to fall asleep because he is hurt and I’m supposed to be watching over him. A more forceful part of me is dutifully committing the feeling of his smooth skin pressed up against mine to memory.


	6. Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took me so long! Midterms + Exhaustion + Stress don't equal good writing... I think I've written and rewritten this chapter ten times. It's not my best but I have to get it out here before I go crazy! I'll try to do better on the next one!

AGRON'S POV

I wake up that morning with a warmth in my stomach and the feeling of Nasir’s body against mine firmly imprinted in my memory. 

But Nasir isn’t against me. 

I look over at his side of the bed and see that he’s not there and an irrational bit of panic sets in. I mean he’s not required to stay next to me at all times, but the last time he left he came back with a hole in his shoulder. And I am supposed to be taking care of him. He’s pretty injured so how in the hell did I lose track of him?

I’m out of bed and about to leave the room and head upstairs when I hear the toilet flush. Why didn’t I think to check the bathroom? I rub the sleep out of my eyes and slap my cheeks a few times. I need to wake up and pull it together. Nasir is injured. I need to be here to help him in things like going to the bathroom and getting dressed. For once, sleeping like the dead is not a quality I want to possess. 

I go over to the bathroom and rap my knuckles against the door a few times. “Nasir? Do you need any help washing your hands or anything?”

The door is opened in response and he stands there for a second and grins at me before going back to the sink to finish washing his one usable hand.

He’s beautiful in the morning. His hair is disheveled and not pulled back from his face in the way it normally is and his posture is more relaxed. I mean, he’s always incredibly attractive but there’s just something about the way he looks right now and the way the morning light is hitting him… I shake my head to snap myself out of gawking at him. I see his bad arm hanging limply by his side and I move forward, remembering that I need to change his bandages. 

“Lance left a fresh dressing and some Ibuprofen for you. Do you want to sit on the counter and I’ll change your bandages?” He nods in my direction and I can tell he’s exhausted and in a great deal of pain. I can see it in the way his face scrunches up a little around his eyes. I’m beginning to be able to interpret the micro expressions he flashes when the mask briefly slips out of place. He has tells; little things that show through that give you a little window to see what he’s thinking or feeling. It’s taken a lot of studying on my part but I’m beginning to recognize them more and more.

I go get everything Lance set out for me last night and return to the bathroom to find Nasir sitting on the counter with his back resting against the mirror. He looks up the second I walk into the bathroom and flashes me another smile that makes me feel warm everywhere.

“Thanks for looking out for me,” his voice is still thick from sleep and he has to clear his throat before he goes on. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to though, I’m sure we can get Naevia or Mira to change my bandages if you need them to.”

For a split second I think about taking him up on his offer. I can barely handle my own blood, I hate dealing with other peoples. But Nasir isn’t other people. He needs me to be here and I’m determined to show him that I can take care of him. I’m hoping it’ll make him realize that it’s nice to have someone looking out for you. Maybe I can get him to trust in me a bit more.

“It’s no problem really,” I try to keep my voice as nonchalant as possible. I even shrug a shoulder hoping to make it seem like changing the bandage of a bullet wound is normal to me. “Besides, it’s nice knowing you’ll have to keep me around for something.” I keep my tone light and smile up at him hoping he’ll realize my lame attempt at a joke. 

His expression falters for a split second and he looks at me in that way he does when he’s really thinking something through before he responds. 

“This isn’t the only reason I keep you around,” he murmurs and pulls one side of his mouth up in a soft and adorably crooked smile. 

I feel my biggest smile, the one I only bring out when I’m really and truly happy, creep onto my face. I stand there and we smile at each other like fools for what feels like hours until Nasir looks down with a blush forming high on his cheeks. Then I remember what I am supposed to be doing. And I feel a little sick at the thought of seeing his blood and potentially causing him more pain. 

“Alright let me know if I hurt you,” I say as I begin to tentatively reach for the bandage covering up most of his left shoulder. I can see a few dots of red on the crisp white and I curse myself for not getting myself together sooner and tending his wound.

“Agron.” He says my name in such a firm way that I look up to meet his eyes. 

“If you’re not up to it I can get someone else to do it,” he says more gently than before. “I don’t want you get sick on me.” He offers me another smile and I can feel myself relaxing a bit. 

I can do this. I can do this for him.

“Nah, I’ve got it.”

I take a deep breath and begin gently pulling at the tape on his shoulder. I take my time to get the bandage off and once I’ve finally removed it I’m pretty pleased with myself that I’ve kept it together so far. The wound is awful looking and I try not to think about it (and look at it as little as possible) as I clean it and slowly put on a fresh, crisp covering.

I look up to Nasir to see if what I’m doing has caused him any pain and see that his stoic expression has slid back into place. He’s staring at a spot on the wall with eyes that are seeing absolutely nothing. I don’t know how he’s able to so completely remove himself from a bad situation and I can’t help but wonder where he goes to in his mind when he distances himself like this. Honestly, I’m a little grateful that he can mentally check out for a bit because if he showed any sign of discomfort I’d have a hard time continuing to tend his wound. 

Before too long I have him all taped and bandaged up and I stop to admire my work. For never changing a dressing or cleaning a wound before I have to say I’ve done pretty darn good. 

He moves his shoulder in little front-to-back motions, testing out how it holds and gives me a nod.

“It looks good. It’ll hold until it needs to get changed again. Thank you, Agron.” He smiles again. I like that he’s smiling so much this morning. I can’t help but feel like we’ve taken a step forward together. He’s trusting me to take care of him. And it only took him getting shot to do so.

He scoots forward to sit on the edge of the counter and I dip my head in for a quick kiss. My lips meet his and I’m about to pull my head back when his good hand slips around behind my neck and cards up through my hair. He holds my head in place and the kiss that I started with every intention of it being light and innocent is quickly becoming something more.

He opens his mouth and I slip my tongue inside, savoring every chance I get to taste him. I put my hands on his sides and we’re pulling each other together until there isn’t any space between us. He wraps his legs back behind mine and I would happy to sit here and kiss him like this forever.

We kiss hot and desperate for what feels like ages before one little movement I make has him pulling back with a hiss. I’m so stupid. How could I let myself forget that he’s injured? I have to be more careful!

“Nasir! I’m so sorry!” I say frantically, stepping back. “Are you okay?”

He halts my retreat from him by locking his heels behind my legs. “Agron, I’m fine, really. Don’t even worry about it. I tried to move my arm without thinking. That’s why I’m in pain, it had nothing to do with you.”

Before I can open my mouth to argue he digs his heels in high up on my calves which pulls me forward and pulls my face back down to his. 

“I’m fine,” he says again, against my lips and I smile despite still feeling guilty over hurting him. 

After a few (wonderful) seconds of my tongue down his throat his hand detangles from my hair and starts slowly slipping down my chest. I can feel my heart pounding a mile a minute and I have a thousand questions and concerns for how quick things are going right now but I can’t seem to catch a hold on any of them. 

When he grabs me through my sweatpants my brain finally wakes up and I realize that we need to take a breath. I pull back and again am caught by his heels behind my legs, holding me in place. He gives me such a confused look that I almost lean forward and kiss him again just to erase the worry creeping into his features. 

“What’s wrong? I thought…” his voice trails off and he looks down. His heels slip from behind my legs and I’m kicking myself yet again for hurting him. 

“Hey,” I say gently and put my hands under his chin and make him look up at me. “Nothing is wrong. You’re perfect. But you’re also injured. We need to take things slow.”

He looks relieved that I wasn’t pulling away because I didn’t want him and he lifts his one good hand to put it against my stomach. “I’m sorry I just thought you’d want…,” his voice trails off and he looks down at his hands resting in his lap.

I’m grateful that he’s thinking about me but also concerned that he’s trying to do something just to make me feel good. “Nasir, we’ll do… other stuff,” I flinch at my wording but charge on, “when we’re both ready for it. I mean I want to do that stuff with you, believe me, but not until you’re 100% sure that it’s what you want too.” My thumbs stroke across his cheekbones as I talk and he looks up and gives me another gentle kiss as a response.

“Thank you. I’ve never been with anyone like you,” He murmurs as he rests his forehead against mine and closes his eyes.

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“A very good thing.”

I open my mouth to respond when suddenly Chadara is in the doorway “Sorry if I’m interrupting.” She glances from me to Nasir and raises an eyebrow when he makes eye contact. I feel myself blush and this time Nasir doesn’t stop me when I step back. “How are you feeling, love?”

Nasir smiles gently at her and responds in his quiet voice, “I’m fine. Nothing a little R&R won’t cure.”

I’m glad it’s Chadara who came down to check on him. Otherwise I’m sure he’d go back to hiding his emotions. She’s the one other person I can tell he’s completely comfortable around. Even with his other three team members I can tell he doesn’t trust them entirely. He’s his true self around only me and her… That thought makes me a lot happier than it probably should. Gaining his trust is close to impossible but Chadara and I have managed to do it and it was well worth the struggle.

“Well, the others are strategizing upstairs about our next move. We don’t think they've realized what you did when you were in their headquarters but if they figure it out we need to have a backup plan. You’re welcome to join if you feel up to it.”

Nasir looks at me and for a moment I think he’s going to stay with me. But he turns to her and says, “Yeah I’ll be up in minute.”

Chadara grins at him and turns around to leave. I listen for the door to close before I address him again. “Are you sure you’re up to it? We can go back to bed if you’re tired.”

“As tempting as that sounds, we need to figure out what’s happening. Plans are going to move forward whether I’m injured or not. If your offer still stands in an hour or so I’m sure I’ll want a nap this afternoon.”

“Sounds like a good plan to me.” I smile at him and give him one more kiss before he hops down from the counter. I help him put a shirt on and we walk out and into the elevator together. He stays very close to me and I enjoy his warmth as long as I can before he goes into the penthouse and disappears into a room with the other four.

I walk over to where Duro and Kore are eating breakfast and the second my butt sinks into the chair it hits me how tired I am. I spent half the night fretting over Nasir and I got maybe three hours of good sleep. 

“Well don’t you look tired, Agron?” Kore remarks. “You and Tiberius stay up late?” She winks at me and makes a very suggestive gesture that I try to ignore.

“Uuuuuuuhhh, I really don’t want to think about my brother and his love life thank you very much!” Duro puts his head on the table and his hands cover his ears. He looks like a child and I almost expect him to start singing, “Na na na na na na, I can’t hear you!”

I shake my head at him before turning my attention back to Kore, “He got shot. It’s not like I’m going to have my way with someone badly injured.”

“You can always do stuff that doesn’t require as much movement,” Saxa pipes up on the other end of the table and yet another crude gesture is made that I pretend to not see. 

“PLEASE, GOD, STOP THIS CONVERSATION.” Duro looks angrily at Kore and Saxa before putting his head back down onto the table.

A few other comments are thrown around by other people regarding me and Nasir but I’m pretty sure they are more for Duro’s benefit than mine. Even Spartacus chimes with a sex joke.

I sit back and watch the playful banter exchanged by everyone that goes on for quite awhile. Not that long ago, we were crammed into a storage container afraid that we’d be split and kept apart forever. I’m struck once again with how grateful I am that Nasir and his crew rescued us. 

I got to keep my family and I've gained so much more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you don't know: R&R means rest and relaxation. 
> 
> If there's any mistakes or inconstancies let me know. For those of you who keep reading- thank you!!!


	7. Setup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys! I had Spring Break last week so I didn't exactly get a lot of writing done!
> 
> Also- I tried writing sexy times but I such at it... I think this story is going to last for about 10 chapters so if you want me to try writing sexy times I can make another attempt in the last chapter...
> 
> If there's any mistakes let me know!

NASIR'S POV

I honestly appreciate everything everyone has done for me while I’m injured. Naevia and Mira have been helpful and supportive. They’ve made sure that the stitches don’t rip and the wound doesn't get infected. I’ve grown to really trust their judgement and enjoy their company. 

Spartacus and the brute, Crixus, have been considerate and have offered to help out with missions and stuff while I’ve been sidelined. They’ve even been nice to me and they try to get to know me better. I think it’s more for Agron’s benefit than my own but I still respect what they’re doing. I’ll admit it freaks me out a bit having this many people around me trying to be a friend, or at least a friendly acquaintance, but I like to think I’m handling it well.

Agron’s been amazing. I shouldn’t be this surprised by how strong and supportive he’s been. After all, one conversation with the man and you can tell he has a great heart. He helps me with things I struggle with and changes my bandages when he can. Even though I can tell it really freaks him out. Everyone has been amazing to me.

And yet, I've been growing more anxious with every day that passes.

It’s a feeling I’ve been trying to suppress but it keeps clamboring to the top. I cannot be taken out of commission like this. I’ve been fighting for a place in this world since I could breathe. I really appreciate what they’ve done, what they’ve sacrificed for me but I’m barely keeping it together. One week of being on “injured leave” and I’m climbing the walls. This thing with Glaber is coming to a close and I will be a part of the final chapter- injury or not. 

Last night I sat up with Agron and I told him what Glaber was to me personally. I couldn’t tell him everything from my past, I’m not ready for him to know all of my dark secrets but I told him about my brother, Shaheim. He was my Duro. My everything. He went to work for Glaber when he was still just a kid so that he could support us both. He wanted me to have a normal life and have a childhood. I was only eight when Glaber killed him. 

My childish innocence died with my brother. 

I’m not even sure why he did it. It wasn’t even until I was in my late teens that I learned the real facts about how my brother was murdered and his ties to Glaber’s organization. Maybe Glaber suspected him of stealing or spying or sometime else. Maybe Glaber just killed him because he no longer had use for him. I don’t think I’ll ever really know. 

Agron was quite while I told him about Sha. He held me for a long time after I talked about my brother and I remembered how great it feels to be comforted. I could tell it Agron was thinking about what it would be like for him if he was to lose Duro. 

The thing that kills me is that I don’t even remember what my brother looked like. I see Agron and Duro and how they would die for each other and I’m reminded that my brother did die for me. 

I told Agron about my brother because I wanted him to know what has driven me into the life I now know. Also, Agron has to see why I have to be apart of Glabers demise. He keeps trying to convince me to let the others handle it but I will see this through to the finish. I was made into a new person when I was eight and this person is not made to sit idly by. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It’s taken months of studying and even some stalking of high ranking officials in Glaber’s crime syndicate but we finally have a lock on where Glaber hides his wealth. He has six separate locations. Some are warehouses, some are in normal office buildings and one in an actual bank (where normal people that aren’t crime lords keep their money). 

We’ve split into teams. Small teams of three or four that are going to hit all of Glaber’s money locations at the same time. Barria, Crixus, Saxa and Gannicus left three days ago to get to their location- somewhere in eastern Europe. Chadara took Rhaskos and Lugo to South America. I can’t say I remember exactly where Axel, Spartacus and Donar are headed to, but I remember it being tropical. Lance is taking Agron and Duro to New York tomorrow. 

Axel has something prepared for after we steal all of the money. He’s compiled a list of all of the crimes Glaber has committed with evidence of the crimes and found ways to hack all of his electronic resources. I don’t know exactly what Axel has planned but if I know him I would guess every major policing agency will receive the list of Glaber’s wrongdoings (which I can only imagine goes on for ages) and soon all of Glaber’s electronic reserves will suddenly go offline.

It took a lot of convincing and pointing out the fact that we don’t have enough people with the skills needed for a heist for them to let me have a target of my own. Everyone offered to be apart of my team but, honestly, as much as I love these people I do my best work when I know it’s just me. I don’t having to account for others and worry about them making mistakes. 

I can tell Agron isn’t happy about separating from me (it took a lot of pleading on my part) but he recognizes that I work alone. If he stayed here he’d only be standing around waiting for me to return and I can see that he wants to be apart of the endgame as desperately as I do. 

Injured or not, I can still do the job at hand much better than most. 

It’s taken tons of planning and late nights but I believe that we’re as ready as we’re ever going to be. We’re ready to make Glaber pay for everything he’s done to us and so many others. For a man like Glaber, money is power, and we plan on taking all of his power away in one fell swoop. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I’m sitting on the bed in the room that has become mine and Agron’s since I got shot about a week ago. I have all of the blueprints of the bank I’m planning on breaking into sitting in front of me with my sticky notes covering almost everything. I’m writing down the dimensions of all of the air ducts (just in case) when the door opens.

Agron’s large form takes up almost all of the doorway. He doesn’t move into the room. He leans up against the doorframe and stares at me. And I stare back. 

I have no idea what he’s thinking, but if I had to guess I’d think it’d be about him trying yet again to convince me to take backup when I go to the bank. 

His next words genuinely surprise me. “Don’t get yourself killed alright?” He says it lightly and turns the corners of his mouth up in what some might mistake for a smile but I can see the pain behind the gesture. I can’t stand the thought of losing him and I know deep down, even though it’s hard for me to accept that someone else can care for me, I know he doesn’t want to lose me. 

“I’m not the only one who has a big and dangerous task in front of him. You need to worry about yourself,” I say as gently as I can. We need to focus on ourselves right now. Distractions get you killed. 

But I don’t tell Agron all of that because I know he’s worried enough and even mentioning the possibility that we could get caught or killed will only make him fret more about the future. 

“Yes, but I’m not the one working alone. You should’ve agreed to let me help you.” He sighs and walks across the room towards me. It takes me a few moments to clear all of my stuff off of the bed and throw it to the ground but when I do he sinks down on the bed behind me. I lean against his chest as his strong, secure arms wrap around my middle. 

Part of me hates our size difference. A bigger part of me loves how he completely surrounds me when he holds me. 

“You have to trust me. I work my best when I’m on my own. It’s how I’ve survived this long. It’s how I’ll survive this thing with Glaber so we can have a future.” When I say “have a future” I can feel Agron stiffen against me in surprise. I had meant that me, him, and everyone in the penthouse upstairs could have a normal (normal being a relative term when I think about the mix of people upstairs) life. We can go back to how we’d all been living before this thing with Glaber became what our lives revolved around. Yet, I immediately realize what my words must sound like to Agron. To him, I’m proposing a future consisting of the two of us together post-Glaber. To him, I’m proposing a future that I’m not sure I can deliver. Can I step away from what has been my existance since I was eight?

“We haven’t really talked about our future,” he murmurs into the crook of my neck. I can practically feel the hesitant nature of the statement. He’s afraid of frightening me off with talk of what lies ahead for us as a couple.

“No we haven’t,” I reply in a neutral voice. I want him to steer this conversation. Either he’ll press to know what will happen with us when we see this through or he’ll let it drop like he’s done in the past when this has come up in conversation. 

“Would you consider a future with me? Would you give up a life of working alone to be with me?” Now that he’s finally asked the questions I know he’s been dying to ask for so long I don’t know if I’m ready to answer them. I can’t even figure out what I’m thinking but I know what I feel about Agron. I know that I’ve never met anyone like him and I never will again. I may not fully understand what it means to love but I think what we have has to be love. Or it can grow into love. There’s still a jumble of thoughts and emotions in my head so instead of trying to sort through all of them I just let the words fall out of my mouth and trust that they’ll be the honest truth. 

“I don’t know if I can live normally like any other person. I don’t know if I can slow down enough to build a life with someone,” I feel him shrink against me and I grab his hands as they start to slip from around my waist and hold them in place as I go on, “But I know that with you, I really want to try. I want to be with you.” 

His arms tightened around my stomach again and I can feel his smile against my neck. 

“I love you,” he whispers softly. I lean against him and put my arms on his in a silent response. 

We sit like that for what feels like ages before he all of a sudden shifts forward so that we face one another. 

“I came in here originally to talk about you going to go off on your little mission alone. I was kind of pissed at you for not allowing me to help you. How’d I let you change the subject so easily?” I can tell he’s partly teasing and partly concerning himself with my safety again. 

“What can I say?” I respond as cheekily as I know how, “I’m very good at distracting you.” 

I close the distance between us and the second our mouths are together all talk is over. 

I climb onto his lap and push him back unto the bed. We smile at each other for a split second before he reaches for me and I’m pulled on top of him kissing him more fiercely than I’ve ever kissed anyone. I feel his heart pounding beneath mine and my heart is quickly matching rhythm. 

It astounds me that I can make Agron’s heart race and his head go fuzzy. I’m not going to lie, I love the power I hold over him and I know he holds the same over me. If the situations were reversed I wouldn’t be able to think if he was pressing me down into the sheets. Even now I feel my headed becoming clouded. In my thoughts is only Agron. I can’t focus on anything else.

His hands slip under my shirt and I feel him stutter as they trace over the many scars covering my backside. He pulls away from me and gives me a look filled with concern and questions. 

Each scar is a story. Stories that I don’t really want to recount right now while I have Agron beneath me. I pull my shirt over my head (God my shoulder is aching but I ignore it the best I can) and roll my hips so our groins slide against each other. I’m not completely sure what I’m doing- I don’t have a lot of experience with these sorts of things but with the way Agron groans beneath me I’m guessing that I’m doing something right. 

Before I even know what’s happened clothes have come off and we’ve switched roles. Agron pins me down to the bed and covers me with every inch of bulk and muscle. We don’t have the necessary supplies to take this as far as we both desperately want it to go but we settle for mapping out each others bodies with lips and hands. We take our time and afterwards Agron snuggles into my side and we lay there as close as physically possible. We don’t speak much, we simply enjoy being with one another in these quiet moments we so rarely have time for with all the craziness around us.

I don’t remember ever feeling this good. With Agron everything is better somehow. It still shocks me how wonderfully different Agron is from everyone I’ve ever met but by now I guess I should know not to be able to compare Agron to anyone else.

I finally understand why Agron hates the thought of us separating. I finally realize how absolutely devastated I would be if anything happened to him. For the first time since this mission started I’m afraid how it is coming to an end.

In two days we will either bring Glaber to his knees or fail. I don’t want to think what failure would mean. For now I content myself with laying next to Agron. I memorize every inch of him with hands and eyes and try not to think about tomorrow.


	8. The End is Near

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alright I said I wouldn't go too long between posting chapters and then I let it go too long... My bad guys! I'm really trying and I'm hoping to get this story finished in two or three weeks! 
> 
> As always-give me feedback!

Agron's Point of View

I wake up and my body feels electrified. Every memory of last night comes rushing back in a flash. It hits me like train. I can still feel every inch of Nasir’s skin against mine even though he’s now somehow managed to slide all the over to the edge of the bed and looks dangerously close to falling off.

This moment would be comical if he didn’t look so cute in his current state and so sexy at the same time with his dark skin glowing in the morning sun peeking through the shades. He’s on his stomach with one arm off the bed and his hair is literally everywhere. It looks like his hair is attempting to swallow the pillow that he’s half on and half off. I swear it expanded overnight and is currently a huge, disastrous mess. That’s probably my fault now that I think about it. My fingers were constantly tangled in his hair last night whenever they weren’t distracted with… other things. 

The clock next to me reads 7:15 and the time is enough to pull me back into reality. Duro, Lance and I leave in two hours. Some part of me thinks it’s wrong to wake Nasir up when he looks so peaceful but I can’t help myself. I have two more hours before I leave and all hell breaks loose. Even if our plan works out, things will be crazy for some time until the dust settles. Even with no money Glaber’s networks of pure evil will still have some power. If you cut the head off a chicken the body still runs around for awhile. 

So, two more hours before I’m separated from who I’m convinced is the love of a lifetime. Honestly, I’m terrified that once we’re apart he’ll change his mind and I won’t be there to convince him to stay with me. I’m terrified once I leave I’m leaving Nasir forever. 

I move over so I’m hovering above him and start kissing the base of his spine. I work up his back slow and hot with my tongue and teeth and about halfway up I feel him start to stir. He lets out a moan that has me remembering what he sounded like last night and I’m hard in the blink of an eye. I push my obvious arousal into his thigh and he pushes back against me. 

I stop my tongue-travels up his back so that he can flip over and face me. He’s barely turned over before I’m covering him with my body again. 

“Well good morning to you too.” 

His voice is thick with sleep and his eyes have bags under them (What can I say? we had a late night last night) but I can tell he’s getting as excited as I currently am. 

I could tell last night that he’d never had anyone before who’d really taken care of him. I don’t know who he’s been with or what relationships he’s carried out but he must not have been with any generous partners because he seemed genuinely surprised by some of the things I did to him last night. He even stopped me once and said, “I’ve done that but never had it done to me… are you sure this is what you want?” 

Pain flourished in my chest by how confused he was. It was like he didn’t realize all forms of pleasure go both ways. The angry side of me wanted to track down his former partners and give them a few solid punches for not taking care of Nasir. How can anyone take advantage of something so wonderful?

His hesitation made me even more determined to make last night as amazing for him as possible.

Now he looks at me with those dark eyes - turning darker with lust - and I want to lock the door and spend all day doing to him what I’d done last night about twenty times. I want to memorize every inch of his perfect body with my mouth. He shifts under me and wraps his lithe legs around my waist and all thoughts cease to exist. I stop thinking about last night because this moment is way better than the memories. 

I grind down against him and he lets off a noise somewhere between a groan and cry of pain/pleasure that does unimaginable things to me. I’m convinced that I can feel him pumping through my veins and every inch of my body is responding to every inch of his. 

I grab the hem of his boxers and before I rip them off I pull back to look at him. He opens his eyes and we stare at each other for a few heartbeats before he nods at me and the only fabric that stood between us is ripped away by my over eager hands. 

When we push against each other again lights go off behind my eyes. My brain feels like it’s going a hundred miles an hour and yet everything is completely calming at the same time. When I’m with him I’m so afraid of losing him yet I know we’re meant to be and somehow I know everything will be fine. 

We grind against each other slow and dirty for quite some time before we both get impatient and use my hand to stroke us both with quick, jerky, disjointed movements. His hand joins mine and that’s all it takes for me come against him with shout. As I come he bucks against me and follows me over the edge of bliss. 

We lay there, wrapped in each others arms swapping gentle touches and whispers of our future for what feels like hours. What I wouldn’t give to live in this moment forever. 

Just as I feel sleep about to reclaim me, there’s a knock on the door and reality steps back into my perfect fantasy.

“Coming!” Nasir shouts and begins to pull himself apart for our tangle of limbs. “We’ll be up in a second!” He gives me a sorrowful look before picking himself up and pulling on clothes. I should be getting ready too but I take what little time I have and study him from the bed. 

“Stop being a creep and get dressed,” he says lightheartedly as he turns around and dazzles me with another one of his too-few smiles. 

My mind races to come back with a witty retort but its too distracted with thoughts of everything that could possibly go wrong in the next twenty four hours. Not only could Nasir get hurt, someone else I love could get hurt and I won’t be there to help. I can do my part and that’s it. I can’t help anyone else and it leaves me with a knot in my stomach. I know that losing any one of these people would be a devastating blow that I’m not sure I’d fully recover from. 

I smile at him as best as I can manage and begin getting ready both by pulling on clothes and mentally preparing myself to say goodbye and leave the man I love behind. I can tell he sees that I’m in pain and a troubled look crosses his face. As much as I love him I know he doesn’t always know how to react in these situations. He’s used to only having to worry about himself and not taking other peoples feelings into consideration. He stares at me with that lost look for a bit before he turns around and walks towards the door. 

“I’ll see you upstairs,” he calls over his shoulder and the door clicks shut behind him. 

I stare at the door for longer than I should before I pull on the rest of my clothes and go out the door. I’m leaving this room, filled with so many memories, for good. I take the stairs to buy myself a few precious seconds to be alone. Before it even registers that I’m climbing the stairs I’m standing in front of the penthouse door. Everything is moving so fast I feel like I’m doomed to be forever three steps behind. 

My hand knocks on the door of its own free will and it swings open. Duro stands there and gives me a look that conveys equal parts excitement and terror and then we’re in the penthouse talking with Lance and Nasir about final plans. We only have a few hours until our plane takes off so we gather up everything we need and load it into the waiting van downstairs. 

I thrown in the last of the supplies and close the rear doors of the van as Duro and Lance climb into the front seats. I take a shuddering breath and internally tell myself to pull it together before I turn around and face him.  
“Call me first thing tomorrow okay? And don’t do anything stupid or risky. If anything goes wrong call me or Barria or someone but don’t do anything. Listen to Lance because he has really good judgement and is always ridiculously calm in bad situations so you know you can trust him to keep a level head…”

I break up Nasir’s seemingly endless rant when I burst out laughing. I’m sorry I just can’t help it. He looks confused and slightly hurt that I’d laugh such a serious situation and I pull him forward into one of my infamous bone-breaking hugs.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper in his ear. I smell his shampoo and soap and the other scent that is distinctly Nasir and take another deep breath. “I’m not laughing at you... It’s just that little rant of yours brought me back to our first night on the terrace when you called me hot and I hugged you. Remember?” He nods against my shoulder and tightens his grip with his arms behind my back. 

“I called you attractive, not hot.”

I chuckle against him and feel as he shakes against me as he laughs too. Weeks of stress are reduced to an almost giddiness that’s manifesting itself in this conversation. I should be more concerned but instead I’m laughing. With Nasir against me it’s easy to shut everything out.

He pulls back while still holding me close and looks me in the eyes. “You know I love you right?” He states it like he’s stating a fact out of a textbook, like he’s stating some rule that everyone knows. His voice was neutral but in his eyes I see all the love I have for him reflected back. 

I pull him close again and kiss him. I convey everything I can’t say with this kiss. 

Lance honks the horn and another perfect moment is crushed with the weight of reality. I hug him again with such force that I actually hear a few faint popping noises coming from his back. He hugs me back with strength that you wouldn’t think someone of his size would possess.

And then I’m climbing in a van and he’s still standing there as we drive away. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everything is going perfectly according to plan. Lance is slow, strenuous process of moving the money bit by bit with Duro in the monitoring station occasionally sounding in our ears with time checks and updates about where the guards are situated. 

Lance and I only had to take out two guards and have successfully managed to avoid the rest. For how much money Glaber has I expected his guards to have a lot more training. I’m a strong fighter but I was nervous about going up against professionals who get paid to be good in combat situations. Yet, Lance and I managed to take them down without too much of a struggle. I have a few bruises forming and a possibly cracked rib but nothing I can’t handle later with a little ice and Advil. 

I finish stashing the guards in a dark corner and get back to Lance as quickly and quietly as I can manage. My thoughts stray to Nasir as I make my way back but I snap out of them. I have to focus. If I screw up I can screw things up for Lance and Duro and this whole operation. Nasir can take care of himself. 

I get back to Lance and we move the money into our rented van with nothing in the back but stacks upon stacks of cash in record time. We did it! We stole Glaber’s money and we are way ahead of schedule! 

Lance gives me a nod and I know he’s as happy right now as I am. Our part is over. 

Duro’s voice floats into my head, “Alright guys, good job. Finish packing up the van and then swing by and pick me up.”

I jump into the passenger seat as Lance gets in the drivers seat. Duro’s waiting outside of the main control and monitoring station for this cluster of buildings and jumps in as soon as we swing by.

“That wasn’t so bad was it?” He says excitedly as he settles into his seat. For a minute we all smile at each other. Weeks of planning have lead to this. We did our part and now that it’s over, a weight that I thought was permanently sitting on my shoulders has been lifted. 

If we were able to do this so easily then I can only hope that everyone else got theirs done without a hitch. 

As we drive slowly through the buildings that have housed untold amounts of Glaber's money for who knows how long, we see a guard step out into our path. 

“Alright guys, we planned for this,” Lance says (Nasir is right he is scary calm in these situations… my heart is beating a mile a minute right now), “Duro is the money all covered up?”

“Yeah, everything looks normal from back here.”

The guard approaches painstakingly slow and raps on Lances window with his flashlight. Lance rolls down the window and although he’s turned away from me I see how big of a smile Lance is flashing the guard right now. The picture of decency. 

“What can I do for you sir?” He asks in the perfect tone; it’s calm, warm with a dash of innocence. 

“What are you boys doing out here so late?” Despite Lances' charming effects you can hear the skepticism in the guards tone.

“Well, normally we wouldn’t be out this late but your people had a major pipe burst earlier and we’ve been working to get it fixed ever since. I know it’s late but you can’t really go home and call it a day when there’s a pipe spewing water everywhere can you?” If you didn’t know any better you’d think Lance was talking to an old friend. I almost feel bad for the poor guard- there’s no way he can see past Lance’s perfectly constructed charming identity. “Do you want to look in our van?” My man in the back can open it up for you!”

The company logos on our shirts perfectly match the logo taking up half of the side of the van. On the outside we seem like a legitimate plumbing company. But if he wants to look under the surface he’ll see what we really are and why we’re really here. 

The guard sits there for a minute and I hold my breath, praying he doesn’t want to look in the back of the van when he finally answers. 

“Naw I think you’re good. You have a good night.” 

Lance relaxes back into his seat and it’s that exact moment when I get the full view of the guard. We make eye contact and a flicker of recognition sparks in his eyes. He was one of guys who originally rounded us up when Glaber had us all kidnapped. He looked me in the eyes when he dragged me out of the gym like he’s looking me in the eyes now. 

The only thing I register is the feeling of my blood running cold.


	9. Heaven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second to last chapter! Sorry it took so long!

Agron POV

My very first thought is how incredibly uncomfortable I am. Everything hurts and for the life of me I don’t know why. My last memories are pleasant ones of warm, brown skin against mine and loving words passed quietly in a secret moment that belonged only to me and the man I love.

Those warm, tender thoughts stand in stark contrast to the cold discomfort I feel now. 

The memories and feelings play in my subconscious while I’m waking but not yet woken. For awhile I’m caught in that place in between where you sort of float. Do I wake up or go back to blissful sleep (even though I must have apparently fell asleep in a very awkward position)?

My sore body seems to favor slipping back into dream land and yet, I suddenly can’t get the thought of loud popping noises out of my head. Whatever the noise was, the memories that follow it are desperately trying to make their way to the forefront of my mind. It had sounded like someone banging two pans together or the noise an open hand makes when it harshly connects to skin or… Or what? The exhaustion that weighs me down prevents me from solidly grasping any one idea. All I know right now is that every part of me is worn out and the warm memories of Nasir and I’s time are more stale that I had originally thought.

My body cries for sleep and yet I’ve passed the point of floating and now I’m actually waking up. My head comes up slowly from it’s painful thrown-back position and that’s when I realize why my entire body hurts. I fell asleep sitting up in a chair. A chair that I’m apparently tied to.

My chest constricts painfully as new memories flood through my head. The warehouse, the guard and that ridiculously loud popping noise that shook my skull so completely that I was worried at the time it would shatter.

But my skull remains intact. And the resulting headache is the least of my worries. My blood runs cold as my brain makes the connection my foggy memories were concealing. The noise my mind so desperately tried to place was a gun going off. Multiple times.

DURO. 

Duro was in the car. Duro was in the car. DURO WAS IN THE CAR.

Those words are enough to corrupt my mind and judgement. Duro could be hurt and in pain or… NO. I won’t even think it. Duro is alive. And if they’ve hurt him I will kill them all.

I must look like an owl, turning my head every way, desperately trying to catch sight of my younger brother or any sign that he’s okay. I pull on my bindings so tightly I can feel the skin break and sticky blood start to flow. 

I’ll pull my hands off of my body if it means I can go find my brother.

With every moment that passes my mind clears a bit but my heart clenches even further. I need to escape because every moment I sit here could be time Duro doesn’t have. 

It’s another gut-wrenching feeling to realize I don’t know what happened to anyone. Everyone else could be dead or in a situation like mine. Spartacus, Crixus, Gannicus, Nasir. 

Nasir. Nasir. Nasir.

If Duro or Nasir leave this world before me I would seriously contemplate following them into the afterlife.

I gather my bearings little by little and I take account of where I am. I’m in a warehouse-like storage room with a low ceiling filled with wooden and cardboard boxes… and I’m tied to a chair… it’s so cliché that it would be funny if not for the horrific image of my brother and Nasir lying in a pool of their combined blood as their lifeless eyes stare off into nothingness that’s planted itself in my head and grows like a weed through my brain. I see image after image people I love dying in the worst ways imaginable and it makes my skin feel like it’s too tight for my body.

My captors don’t even have to torture me. I’m doing it to myself and I can’t stop it. I would do or say anything to get information on the people most important to me. 

I keep expecting big, burly men dressed in black to come around the corner and make a shady business deal and then turn their attention to the guy tied to the chair and do Gods know what to get information or revenge or whatever like you see in the movies. 

But this isn’t the movies. 

So I sit in this chair for hours that feel like years. I sit long enough for the pain coming from my abused wrists to register and the adrenaline to flow out of my body, taking my strength with it. I fight the urge to surrender to darkness, yet I know I can’t win this battle much longer. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pop. Pop. Pop.

There’s the noise again. 

I didn’t even realize I’d fallen asleep again until I jerk back into a straight-backed position. 

Did I hear gunshots again? Or was I simply dreaming?

I don’t know how much longer I can stand to sit here… and come to think of it I have no idea how long I’ve even been here. Hours? Days?

There’s no windows and my chair is bolted to the floor otherwise I would’ve tried to waddle myself out of here a long time ago. 

My head is clearer now than it was when I woke up in this place the first time. If I’m going to help Duro I need to get myself out of here. 

When it comes to brains vs. brawn, I’ve favored strength. Training and weightlifting have always been my forte, however, if I’m getting out of here it’s not going to be by pulling through these ropes. There has to be something around me within legs length that I can drag to myself. 

As I assess everything around me I catch something drop from the ceiling out of the corner of my eye. 

My whole upper half whips around and is greeted with a sight I didn’t think I’d see again.

“Well this is a bit of déjà vu isn’t it? You have a thing for getting caught don’t you?” Nasir whisper/talks as he quickly makes his way to me. His tone is light and yet I can see the stress in his features. 

He looks like what I imagine an angel would look like if it lost the long, white robes and donned a tight, black T-shirt and matching black skinny jeans. 

He moves with speed and purpose and before I can even blink he stands before me. Not for the first time since this has all started, my brain feels as though its lagging behind. I don’t know if it will ever catch up. 

I’m still processing Nasir dropping from the ceiling and now he’s before me talking to me and checking me over to see if I’m injured. 

I feel my mouth move and hear the words, “I’m unhurt,” without understanding that I’ve said them. I hadn’t even heard the question but I suspect it had something to do with my well-being. 

He pulls a knife out and works through my ropes with blinding speed and efficiency. As I study his face I see the sad look he takes on as he studies and turns over my bloody wrists. 

He cups my face in his hands for a few seconds and I get to stare into his eyes once more. It’s all I can do to look away and start focusing on getting my damaged form out of this chair. Nasir grips me under my arms and before I know it I’m swaying on unsteady feet. I’ve never been more happy to stand up. 

“You okay?” He looks up at me again and once again stress is written in every muscle. 

“Yes.” My throat sounds like I’ve been drinking nails and I cough a few times to clear it. “Yes,” I try again, “but what about Duro? Where is he? Is he alive?” I can feel my fingers grind into the soft skin of Nasir’s arms as he still grips me to hold me steady.

“Duro is alive. He was hurt when you were caught by the guards,” I violently inhale at those words and my legs start to shake again as the awful images from before start reforming, “but, Agron listen, he’s okay. None of his injuries are life-threatening. He’s getting treatment as we speak and will be up and running around in no time.” He makes firm eye contact with me as he tells me about Duro and confirms that I’m listening to every word he says. I must have panicked at the news Duro was injured more than I realized because he’s gripping me back just as firmly as I’m gripping him and anchoring me in reality.

“Is he really okay?” I don’t think Nasir would lie to me but I don’t completely believe in anything until I see it with my own eyes. 

“Yes Agron. He is. So is everyone else. We were all a little worried about you and Lance but you’re both fine.”

I’m relieved to hear that Spartacus and the others got out unscathed and that Lance is alive. Lance and I will not be best friends anytime soon but I respect the man a great deal.

“Agron.” Nasir’s voice brings me back from my travelling thoughts. “I know everything is overwhelming but for now, let’s focus on getting out of here.”

Oh. Not gonna lie, I sort of forgot about the situation at hand. I feel like I’ve been drinking. You know how you get to that place when you’re going with the flow of things and not really thinking about the next step or where the night will go? That’s how I feel right now. I’m going to guess that I haven’t been secretly slipped hard liquor from my no-show captors and that my current mindstate is not from drinking, but instead from a lack of food, water, and restful sleep for however much time has passed since I’ve been in this room. 

Whatever the reasons are, I have to pull it together long enough to get out of here. If I want to see my brother again I need to survive this.

By sheer willpower I summon what little energy and adrenaline I have left and force my mind to focus and my legs to stop trembling. 

“Alright. What’s the plan? I’m ready to get out of here.” My voice sounds more confident than I expected it to. 

Nasir smiles at me before reaching around behind him and pulling around a bag that I hadn’t noticed before. 

“The plan is for us to change and walk out the front door. Simple as that.” 

My face must display my hesitations about this “plan” because Nasir pauses for a second before launching into an explanation.

“You know how I broke into that facility the night I got shot?” He doesn’t give me time to answer. Probably because he knows I’ll never forget him walking in covered in his own blood. “Well I never told you what we were doing. We weren’t stealing anything, we were putting in our own files. That building houses employee records and clearances as well as passcodes for every facility. Every place like this one that houses Glaber’s money changes their security codes everyday to maintain security, and every morning that building calls them to inform them of their new codes. But the upper management got lazy. Instead of creating and clearing new codes every morning they would type up codes weeks in advance so all they’d have to do in the mornings is call the facility and tell them the new security code.”

“So, when we broke in, we took their list of security codes and replaced it with one of our own. We also put in new employee records for me, Barria, Lance, Chadara and Axel so that we could freely roam through any facility. Axel took care of ID badges and everything so it seems like all five of us have been faithful employees of Glaber’s organization for years. If we get stopped on a facility we’ll just say we’re new employees and our papers haven’t come through yet. You and yours don’t have clearance like we do, but if you stick close to me they shouldn’t stop and question us.”

He stops with his explanation and looks at me expectantly. “Do you have any questions or can we get this process movin’ along?” I can tell he’s trying to be patient with me but he shifts his weight from foot to foot every two seconds and starts worrying his lip in a way that tells me we don’t have time for further talk. 

“The guard that recognized me…”

“He’s been dealt with. Honestly we shouldn’t even see any guards on our way out. They’re all in the middle of their shift and we’ll be leaving through the employee entrance/exit.” 

Things went wrong so fast before when everything seemed to be going fine. It scares me that something could go wrong again and this time Nasir is by me and I might not be able to protect him like I was unable to protect Duro from getting hurt.

Nasir looks at me and I can swear he’s reading my thoughts because the next words out of his mouth are, “We are strong enough to keep each other safe if something goes wrong. But nothing will go wrong. You just have to put one foot in front of the other and before you know it this place will be but distant memory.”

He’s right. If I don’t go now I never will. 

My flight instinct kicks in and everything else ceases to exist. There’s time for words and questions when we’re far away from this place and out of Glaber’s reach. 

We both strip and change into the clothes Nasir brought in and we hide what we were previously wearing in one of the wooden crates. 

Nasir gives me a wink and an easygoing smile before turning to lead me out of the room that housed me for an unknown amount of time. 

"Wait!" He turns back to me and I pull him into a kiss that's equal parts sweet and fierce. If it were left up to me I'd stay in this moment with my lips on his and his hands in my hair forever.

Nasir is the first to pull away and gently kisses the tip of my nose and both cheeks. He turns around again and I follow him out of the room We come out in a long hallway and as I turn I can see the door at the end of it. 

Freedom. I need fresh air like a fish needs water. The air I breathe now feels stale and doesn’t do enough to fill my oxygen requirements.

When we reach the end of the hall and Nasir turns left instead of going out the exit door I almost scream. I’d rather run out that door and face possibly getting caught than stay in here one more second.

I force myself into a levelheaded state and follow his lead. He’s gotten me out of bad situations before. I just have to trust he’s going to do it again.

When a guard turns down our hallway after we’ve made it about halfway down, I’m fighting the panic that surges up yet again. It's a crushing feeling. One I've become too accustomed to these past hours. I want to run. Or beat this man into unconsciousness so he can’t call for guards that will lock Nasir and I away for eternity. 

He makes eye contact with Nasir for a moment and then looks at me. I’m trying so hard not to look panicked that I have no idea what my face must actually look like. 

“You guys new here?” He sounds so friendly and genuine that I start to feel a little sick. Glaber’s men down to the lowest janitor that mops the floors of this facility know what this place houses. They know it's importance to his criminal organization and they also know what Glaber does. They know how many lives he’s ruined and people he’s hurt. They shouldn’t be cheerful or carefree like this guy seems to be. 

“Yeah we are!” You’d think Nasir was talking with a long lost friend from his tone. He goes to shake this guys hand and I can’t help but be unnerved with his calm in this situation. “I’m Stephen and this big guy is James.”

James? Do I look like a James? Nasir is motioning to me when he says it so that must be my cover identity.

“We’re new here. We actually start tomorrow but John was giving us a tour. He got called away though so James and I thought we’d just head on out and finish up orientation tomorrow.” I can see the edge of Nasir’s smile and I do my best to copy his mannerisms. 

“Well John has a lot going on right now! If you’d like I could finish up your tour?” 

I want to punch this guy. I swear he’s been sent here to personally make my life hell. Seriously dude, just smile that obnoxious time and go on your way.

“Ah no,” Nasir waves his hand in this guys general direction, “I’m sure you’re busy too and James and I should get going. We’ll see you around here tomorrow!”

That seems to satisfy Mr. Too Happy To Be A Guard and he saunters off with a promise to “chat at us tomorrow.”

Nasir glances over his shoulder at me and down the hall we continue. 

Before I can even start panicking again, Nasir opens a door and I’m standing in sunshine and clean air.

I don’t even look where I’m going. I grab Nasir’s arm and look up at the clouds as I’m lead to a car. 

I get in. There’s a gate. Then a road. 

We sit in silence for awhile before I decide I can’t stand to not hear his voice. 

“Where are we going?”

I see Nasir shoot a surprised look my way. “I thought you’d gone mute over there.” With his poor attempt at a joke and the slight tremor in his voice notice how nervous he seems. Is he nervous because of me? 

I reach over and take the hand closest to me and give a gentle squeeze.

He looks over and I get to see the smile that’s been absent too long. I feel my full dimples and everything smile form on my face and once again it’s amazing the grounding effect he has on me. 

Somehow I know everything will turn out alright.

“I’m taking you to your brother. When the guard made you two nights ago Lance and Duro were hurt. From what I understand Lance was able to drag Duro out, he would’ve gotten you but he knew if he saved you and not Duro you’d beat him to death.”

I chuckle a bit because of how true those words are.

Nasir grins and charges on. “He got Duro out and then got caught. Duro ran and called someone who called someone and soon we all knew. We got together and planned how to get you both out as quick as possible… Sorry we took so long.”

He gives me a sheepish look and I’m not used to him being anything but his calm, confident self. 

“I know you did your best. I’m okay.” I squeeze his hand again.

“We had a backup plan in place like I told you. We put a lot of files in a lot of different places so we could go where we wanted in Glaber’s facilities. Anyways, when things went south with you guys we made sure that no one would realize that we’d hit multiple facilities long enough for us to get you and Lance. They decided to move all of the shit you guys tried to steal and the containers with the last of Glaber’s tangible fortune should be being intercepted by Spartacus, Crixus and Gannicus right about now.”

“Axel has something in place that’ll give him access to Glaber’s banking and other money info once Glaber figures out what we’ve done and tries to log on to… something. I never understand what Axel says because he tends to go into too much detail and loses me in internet mumbo jumbo. What I did understand is that we have a way to get the last of Glaber’s money that remains in banks and trusts and stuff. And everyone else succeed in their missions so by tonight, Glaber will have nothing left. All we’ll have to do is sit back and watch his empire crumble.”

“In a few days, this will all be over.”

The way he says, “this will all be over,” sets my mind reeling. How do we just get past this thing that’s been such a huge part of our lives? What does this mean for me and Nasir?

I squeeze his hand with a little more force than I intended. He flinches a bit but doesn’t pull away from me.

There’s a lot of sideways glances that pass between us on the rest of the drive but neither one of us knows what to say or do next.

For now I need to think about my brother. One problem at a time.

After two hours of crappy radio and awkward silence I’m in front of a quaint house in a town whose name I’ve already forgotten. 

Kore pops her head out of the main entry and smiles at me as I bound up the front steps. She pulls me into a gigantic hug before pulling back and cupping my face in her hands. 

“I’m so glad you’re alright.”

“I’m fine. Duro?”

“He’s inside. He’s awake and everything. He got shot twice, once in the arm and one grazed his side. Nothing major. Naevia and Mira are watching over him and you just missed the doctor… It was weird he just came in, patched Duro up and left us with pain meds and specific instructions. I wonder how much they paid him to make a house visit and not say anything.” She looks over at Nasir who’s parked and is approaching the house slowly. They share a smile before I’m lead into the house and to the bed my brother rests in.”

He looks up from where he lays and smiles. I feel a weight I didn’t know I was shouldering lift off my shoulders. 

“I’m in the hospital bed and you’re the one that looks like shit, brother.”

I laugh. He laughs. 

He’s okay. Nasir’s okay. 

I’ll think about the future tomorrow. For now, everything is perfect.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
NASIR’S POV

As I watch Duro, Kore, Mira, Naevia and Agron, I see the family they’ve found in each other.

A family that I don’t know that I have a part in. 

I’ll make sure Chadara checks on them frequently. They need time to just be a family. And I need time to figure out if this is truly where I belong. 

I slip out of the house when no one’s looking and get in my car. 

I never see that quaint, little house again.


	10. Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys! This is it! Thank you to everyone who has read this story and supported me! I hope this is a good ending to our story!
> 
> Unlike the other chapters, this one is in past-tense.

AGRON's POV

Hell. That’s what it was like.  


Nasir slipped out of my life before I even realized what had happened and then a hole was just there. Just growing and eating away at everything inside. I tried so hard, so fucking hard, to act normal and shrug everything off. Nasir and I hadn’t even been together for that long, yet when he left it hurt like hell.

We stayed in that little house in that quaint town for three weeks, four days, and eleven hours. Not like I was counting or anything.  
Duro recovered quicker than I ever could’ve hoped and I focused all my attention on taking care of him so that my mind wouldn’t wonder to… other things. 

It was frustrating to be separated from everyone else. We were all in little groups of five or six in a variety of different, inconspicuous places. They told us everyone was safe and healthy. They didn’t tell us where the others where and we could only call them every now and then. 

By the end of those three and a half weeks I was nearly losing my mind. I’m not used to sitting around with nothing to do. After all the excitement of the past few months, I had grown accustomed to the constant adrenaline in my veins. There had always been that fear that Glaber would find us or that our mission to bring him down would fail. Since it had all ended and there was nothing left for us to do everything seemed a bit… unexciting. 

I got a lot of TV watched in those weeks.

Glaber dominated the news. Word of his misdeeds and fall from grace were reported on every channel. When Glaber lost his fortune he turned himself into police. I’m guessing he feared the many, many enemies he’d made over the years more than he feared prison. It was satisfying to know that he knew he’d lost everything. This was better than if we'd just killed him because now he'd die hated and disgraced. The thought of him pining for the life and power he'd had ripped away from him was one of the few happy thoughts I had in those weeks. 

During that time, Chadara was our connection to the outside world. She’d show up once or twice a week with food and the latest news on Glaber that didn’t make it onto the news. Apparently, the Russian mob was offering millions in bounty for the person who brought them Glaber. I would’ve gladly handed Glaber over to them for free. 

Then one day Chadara showed up and told us to pack. We packed and cleaned the house that had hid us away for nearly a month and then, before we knew what was going on, we were back at our actual homes. 

Axel had made sure to keep our houses and apartments from being repossessed and had even paid for housekeepers to come and keep things in order while we were away. When I got back to my small apartment it was more clean than it had ever been in the five years I’d lived in it.

Axel also got us back the gym. We had to do some repairs and remodels to do, but ultimately we had been given back our lives.

Everyone else adjusted back so easily.

I think that was the hardest part.

They were all so ready to get back into the rhythm of how things used to be. They hadn’t gained and then lost someone like I had. Nasir had walked into my life and changed the beat. My rhythm couldn’t be like it used to before Glaber had kidnapped us.

For another two months I waded through life. I got up, went to work, hung out with the gang and then went home. I got so used to this pattern that I could convince myself that this was how my life was supposed to be. I even tried dating although it didn’t exactly work out. I told Duro we just didn’t click but if I’m being honest he was a great guy. He just wasn’t the one I wanted. 

And then, with no warning, on a day like any other day, the one I did want showed up at my apartment.

I opened up my front door and there he stood, nervous and shy. More amazing and beautiful than I had remembered. 

“Uh… Hi. Look I know I shouldn’t have just left, and now I shouldn’t have just shown back up in your life. I’m sure you’ve moved on but I felt bad for the way things ended and I know we’re from two different worlds but I am willing to leave mine if it means I get to be with you and I know you have no reason to trust me and have every reason to be angry but…”

Here he stood before me, rambling, like he’d done that first night I kissed him. And all I could think about was how much I wanted to kiss him again.

I pulled him in so quickly that the kiss was messy and uncoordinated and completely wonderful. He stood in front of me and I knew that this was where we both belonged. There would be time later for apologies and discussions of what occurred in the time we were apart. 

In that moment though, I wanted to reconnect with him in every sense of the word. So I pulled him into my small home, kicked the door shut and carried him into the nearest room with a flat surface. That just happened to be the kitchen. I have never looked at that table the same way again.

He moved beneath me on that table so perfectly. It was more rushed and sloppy than it should’ve been for our first time in a long time, but months of sexual frustration kept me from thinking clearly when he was against me.

After our kitchen adventure, he followed me to the bedroom. There I took my time with him. 

I laid him down and remapped every inch of him with lips and tongue and teeth. I made love to him slow and tender. Being inside of him for the first time was an experience that I wanted to last forever. For a moment I stopped moving my hips and detached my lips from his neck. I planted my arms on both sides of his head and pulled myself up to look down at him. The only movement between us was him gently stroking my cheek with his thumb. I could see all the love and want I had for him reflected in his eyes and if I had died then, I would've died as the happiest man on the planet. We stared at each other for awhile before it became too much and I had to start moving again. 

It was almost sad when it was over. If I could, I would listen to his groans and the noises he made when I slid in and out of his flawless body on repeat. When it was over and he was curled up in my arms, there was still a hint of fear that nosed it's way into my head that he’d come to his senses and disappear again. 

He didn’t though. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Every now and then he’ll go on “vacation” and days later I’ll hear about an expensive masterpiece that has gone missing or an entire private collection that was stolen. Hey, I guess we all need our hobbies. 

But his “vacations” are becoming less and less frequent. He works at the gym with the rest of us teaching yoga and tai chi classes.  
It’s been almost two years since Glaber nearly destroyed our lives. Some small part of me is grateful. Without Glaber, I never would’ve met Nasir. 

Everyday Nasir opens up to me a little more and his strength never ceases to amaze. I thought I loved him as much as I was ever going to, yet I'm constantly proven wrong. I love him more every day (and not to brag but I'm pretty sure he's only getting happier about his choice to return to me). I would worry about him feeling trapped in this life with me, but it's impossible to deny how happy he is, he now wears his emotions proudly without trying so hard to hide them. Mira, Naevia and him have grown incredibly close and Chadara even moved in and settled down with Rhaskos.

I haven’t heard much about the other three, however, I know Nasir still talks to them every now and then and that they're all doing well. 

Nasir adjusted more quickly and completely than I ever could've imagined. He says it's because his love for me makes giving up his old life a lot easier, but, (as much as I want to) I can't take all the credit. Everyone has grown to accept and love Nasir. He's apart of the Ludus family and he has something now that’s he’s gone far too long without; family.

Even as time has passed, Nasir can still look at me in that way that makes my skin heat up. When I’m with him, the intensity of the fire he ignites within me only gets stronger and more profound. The want he stirs in me is almost torturous… If he is my own, personal hell, I’ll gladly burn forever.

**Author's Note:**

> Be gentle... I don't know anything about Betas so I don't have one! If there's errors feel free to point them out so I can make corrections in the future but again, be gentle please! And tell me what you think!


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